From 15 to 17 April 2015 >> Innovations in Lead-Acid Batteries - Europe« (ILAB-E) workshop, jointly organized by the Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium ALABC and Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, took place at Fraunhofer ISC in Wurzburg. The ILAB-E joined battery producers and researchers to discuss current needs and latest developments of lead-acid batteries. Over 60 visitors from 18 countries attended the venue.

The ILAB 2015 offers an international platform for researchers and producers to present new ideas and project results on lead-acid batteries (LAB). Main topics of the workshop centered around carbon additives for a better dynamic-charge acceptance for starter batteries in start-stop vehicles and on how to get lead-acid batteries ready for the 21st century. Participants also discussed the most important parameters for energy storage devices and for buffering an overproduction of wind and solar energy.

Fraunhofer ISC started its R&D on LABs two years ago and has already gained much attention owing to the work of Jochen Settelein of the Center for Applied Electrochemistry who introduced new analytical tools for the investigation of carbon additives. His main research aimed at testing the behavior of carbons inside LABs, the incorporation behavior within the negative active mass of the negative plate, and at investigating carbons that enhance the water loss of LABs, which significantly decreases the battery life. The Center for Applied Electrochemistry also performs post-mortem analyses to obtain deeper insights into LAB failure modes and has also carried out contract R&D on various LAB components.

This LAB R&D focus in conjunction with the conveniently central location of the scenic town of Wurzburg in Germany was the main reason to choose the Fraunhofer ISC as meeting place for this European workshop.

Participants of the ILAB-Europe 2015 came from 18 countries all over the world, including Brazil, Russia, South Africa, and the USA. The workshop succeeded in bringing together members from all kinds of industry, from battery suppliers and carbon additive producers to international battery manufacturers for a fruitful exchange.